The Chinese Lantern Bride Ch. 02

This is a multi-part series about a widower who finds himself in possession of a mail-order bride.. who -- doesn't exactly turn out the way he expected. Anthony anticipates the arrival of his bride, while Gianna dons her new identity. Ridiculous as the scheme is, could she possibly luck out and pull the wool over Anthony's eyes? Or will she get into trouble with her prospective husband?

Again, this chapter is a bit of a slow burn, but there will be a touch of action at the end.

All characters are 21 years and above.

Chapter 2

"Cazzo!"

Gianna cursed, as she tried in vain to find a comfortable position. Her squirming earned her a glare from the stuffy gentleman sitting across from her and she stuck her tongue out in retaliation. Such unladylike behaviour was uncommon for her, but Gianna was long beyond any form of social etiquette.

"Cosa vuoi ora?" She snapped when it seemed apparent that he was not planning to take his beady eye off her anytime soon. Clucking his tongue, the man shook his head before turning back to his newspaper.

Gianna knew deep inside that she could barely blame him or any of the passengers for staring. She looked like a rare oddity. The Italian girl dressed in traditional Chinese garb. From the moment she pulled on the Qipao that Feng Ling had passed to her, she knew that she was in for a hell of a time. Being considerably more voluptuous than her Asian friend, the tight silk fabric was stretched to its limit over her curves. That, coupled with the garish design of golden dragons and engine red fire birds, made her feel like a circus sideshow.

"I look ridiculous, Ling!" She had protested as her friend struggled to keep a straight face.

"Oh, come now. You don't look too bad. Besides, it was your idea to keep the act as authentic as possible."

"I'm having serious doubts about my sense of judgement," Gianna muttered as she checked out her reflection. "Dios! My butt looks huge!"

"Really?" Feng Ling perked up as she scooted over for a better look. "I think you look really hot."

"Thanks," Gianna snorted.

"No, take it from me. I ought to know." Ling laughed.

"Yes, you would, wouldn't you?" she sighed. Slouching her shoulders, she turned to her friend. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Are you serious? This is probably the best idea you've ever had. I mean, come on!" Gianna yelped in protest as her friend smacked her teasingly on her bottom. "One look at you and he won't give a rat's ass about your race."

"Such vulgarity from the shy little Chinese sparrow," Gianna quipped which earned her a punch on the arm. "Ouch!"

"Laugh all you want," Ling scoffed. "But I'm a New Yorker, born and raised. Having said that, you'd definitely play the part a lot better than I would. Soft voice, little nods. That's practically just being yourself."

"Oh ha, ha," Gianna rolled her eyes. "I'm going to miss you, you know," she said drawing her friend into a sudden embrace.

"Yeah, it's just starting to sink in for me too," Ling sniffled as she returned the hug. "Take care of yourself, right? You know I'm forever in your debt."

"As am I," Gianna's voice broke. "That money means all the world to my parents. Thanks for wiring the cash for me."

"Thanks for marrying the Western for me." They broke apart, giggling at the absurdity of the situation.

Gianna shook her head as she watched the scenery flash before her. As the unfamiliar terrain of the western frontier appeared, a giant wave of homesickness washed over her. Her move to America had been terrifying, but at least she had known exactly what she was going to do. Pretending to be someone she was not and marrying someone she didn't know: that was something else altogether.

Tugging at the high collar, Gianna tried to banish all images of a noose from her imagination. Instead, she focused on the last words her friend had said to her, just before she had boarded the train.

"Be careful, Gianna," Ling whispered into her ear as they hugged goodbye. "You mustn't let him know that you're lying. He'll send you back and you'll have the entire settlement sum on your shoulders as debt. I'm leaving for Wyoming tomorrow, so I won't be around to clean up your mess anymore."

Threats of an impending debt that she would never be able to repay! That was the perfect pick me up. Gianna rolled her eyes at herself.

"Next stop, Sparks, Nevada!" the train conductor called out as he passed her.

Gianna stuffed her belongings into her purse and paused as her fingers brushed against her grandmother's necklace. Rubbing the cameo for luck, she whispered a silent prayer as the train platform emerged in the distance.

"Well, this is it," she told herself.

As the train slowed to a stop, Gianna gathered her suitcase and smoothed out her skirt. As she descended from the train with a couple of other passengers, she scanned the train platform. "I wonder who he is," she thought.

"Miss Ling?" Gianna jumped as a tiny tentative tap landed on her shoulder. "Yes, yes," she answered hastily. "I'm Miss... Miss Ling."

Turning around, she saw a kindly faced elder lady in a blue dress. Her silvery curls were neatly tucked beneath a white bonnet. Gianna guessed that she was about a decade younger than her grandmother.

"Oh!" Gianna's heart sank as she saw the uncertainty cross the lady's face. "My, my, you're quite... different from what I expected," the older lady said hesitantly. "You are Miss Feng Ling? The young lady that Mister Davis is expecting?"

"Yes Madam, I am Feng Ling," Gianna resisted the urge to drop a curtsy, opting instead for a low bow.

"And you are... Chinese, I believe?" A frown settled upon the lady's face, terrifying Gianna. Were things going to go wrong even before she left the train station? She hastened to reply.

"My father is Chinese, ma'am, and my mother was from Italy," she whispered, lowering her eyes to the ground. She could feel her lips quivering as she uttered the lie.

Moments passed in unbearable silence before a merry chuckle made her look up in surprise. The lady's eyes were twinkling again and she warmed to her right away.

"Well now, dearie, come along. My name is Matilda Beauchamp, and it's very nice to meet you. I'll just get Jackie to pick up your things and we'll be on our way. Jack!" Mrs Beauchamp beckoned to a young boy of approximately fourteen who had been staring unabashedly at her since she descended from the train. Gianna blushed a little.

"Right, right away, Miss," he stammered. "Are there bags on the train then?"

"Oh no, no," Gianna lifted her suitcase. "This is all I have."

"I'll take that for you, Miss," the boy shyly received her proffered bag and hurried off. Mrs Beauchamp chuckled.

"You'll excuse Jackie there. It's not often that he interacts with such a pretty young lady like yourself."

"Are you... are you both related to Mr Davis?" Gianna inquired, thinking that she wouldn't mind if these two lovely people were part of her future family. Mrs Beauchamp laughed heartily.

"Good heavens, no! I'm his housekeeper and Jack is his stable boy. Mister Davis would have come himself today, but he had something to attend to. The life of a hotel owner is oft' a busy, busy one! He's a good man, missy, and I'm sure you'll find him very charming. A fine gentleman he is, do you know he used to be sheriff of our town?"

Gianna smiled as she walked alongside, her eager eyes taking in the unfamiliar sights. There was the faint outline of mountains in the distance, surrounded by large expanses of green lands. So far, everything was going beautifully. As the whistling of steam engines grew fainter behind them, a beautiful horse wagon came into view. But it wasn't the large mahogany stagecoach which captured her attention.

"Horses!" she exclaimed, and clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized that she had interrupted Mrs Beaucamp in midsentence. Thankfully, the woman chuckled good-naturedly.

"Are you an animal lover, poppet?"

"Oh yes," Gianna stared longingly at the two beautiful horses. One was a chestnut mare with a lush brown mane, a long swishy tail and the softest chocolate eyes. The other was a unique specimen. Its shiny coat was ebony and had large patches of white so that it resembled a cow. She had never seen anything like it.

"That's our piebald, Jenny," Jack offered shyly. Without realizing it, Gianna had wandered right before the horse. "She's beautiful," she said in wonder, laughing as the horse whinnied softly as though thanking her for the praise.

"I've never had the opportunity to see one up close before," she mused. She held up a tentative hand to the horse who sniffed it with interest.

"Oh yes, I don't expect that you city girls would have the chances to interact with God's animals. How wonderful that you get along with animals! Mister Davies runs a stable of fine horses on his land. How lovely that you'll both have that in common!"

Gianna smiled at the old lady fondly. It was obvious that she loved her employer and for the first time, Gianna allowed herself to hope for the best. Getting a hand from Jack, she mounted the wagon and settled herself on its seat.

"Well, off to home now!" chirped Mrs Beauchamp as Jack clicked smartly at the horses and they moved off in an enthusiastic canter.

"The Chinese Lantern Hotel is right off the edge of town," Mrs Beauchamp offered, seemingly eager to acquaint Gianna with her future home. "Mister Davies owns a large plot of land, just over twelve grand acres, I'd reckon."

"The Chinese Lantern Hotel?" Gianna wondered.

"Aye, poppet. I guess that's a strange name for a hotel this parts, but Mister Davies is a man of innovation, as they call him. He redecorated the building with Asian antiquities and now we've got visitors coming from miles around."

Turning suddenly to Gianna with sparkling eyes, she quipped, "I guess you'll feel right at home! It'll be nice to have someone who can tell me more about those art pieces and decorations."

Gianna stared in horror. She had assumed that there would be questions about her fake heritage but this was a brand new nightmare altogether.

"I must say, your outfit is exquisite!" Mrs Beauchamp tittered on, blissfully unaware of Gianna's plight. "Those are some pretty birds. What are they?"

Trying desperately to remember what Ling had called them, Gianna did her best to keep her voice calm. "Oh, they are urm, peacocks."

"Peacocks?" Mrs Beauchamp wrinkled her nose.

"Fire peacocks," Gianna added hastily. Flapping her hands like wings, she blathered on. "They're mythical birds that breathe fire and... fly fast."

"How exquisite," Mrs Beauchamp said, her eyes wide. "My, such a rich heritage."

Gianna smiled weakly and offered a silent apology to the Chinese for the unintended butchering of their heritage.

"I ask because Mister Davies imported some lovely silk fabric for our new uniforms. They have the exact same birds on them and there I was all a fluster. I didn't want to ask him for fear of sounding silly, but at least now I have something to tell the townsfolk when they ask -- oh, dearie, are you alright?"

The horrible notion of a triumphant Mrs Beauchamp telling the whole town about her made up fire peacocks had sent Gianna into a coughing fit.

"My, my, it must be the change in climate," the kind old lady clucked, patting Gianna comfortingly on her back. "A nice cup of tea is just what you need. And just in time, look, we're here!"

++++++++

Anthony puffed at his pipe as he paced restlessly through the lobby. He kept his eyes on the path that led up to the hotel as he absentminded toyed with a loose thread from his waistcoat.

They should have been here by now.

Mayhap the girl had changed her mind. Anthony felt a flush of relief as he considered that possibility although it was tinged with a touch of disappointment. Despite his misgivings, some part of him had taken the initiative to prepare for living with a woman. He had the maids put up fresh sheets over the bed, installed a new wardrobe and a large bathtub in the corner of the room. As an afterthought, he had placed sprigs of sweet smelling sweet pea blossoms he had gathered on his way back from the stables around the room.

Ah well. Anthony snuffed out his pipe. Perhaps it was for the best. All that worrying had chipped away at the emotional wall he had so carefully built. Finally noticing the fray in the fabric his meddling fingers had created, he made an irritated noise.

"Confound this woman," he muttered as he examined the damage. Even the mere notion of a wife had taken its toll on the careful control he maintained over... well, just about everything.

"Mister Anthony," a soft chirp got his attention. He smiled as he saw the bashful young daughter of one of the maids tugging shyly at his jeans.

"What is it, Marie?"

"Mama said that the young lady will be arriving soon. I want to see if she looks like the princess in my book," the five year old lisped adorably, as she offered him a worn out book. Taking from her, he turned the pages.

"Well Marie, she'll look a bit different from your princess. For one thing, she's Asian, so her eyes won't be green."

Disgruntled, the girl plucked her book back rather grumpily. "I still think she'll be beautiful," she said with firm resolution. "Oh!" she started hopping up and down in excitement. "There's her carriage now!"

"Slow down, Marie!" Anthony rushed after Marie as the little girl dashed to the glass doors. As the wagon drew to a stop, he sucked in a deep breath.

Well, this is it.

Jack opened the door and held out a hand. Anthony watched as a young lady with curly locks of thick, black hair emerged and daintily hopped out from the carriage. She was wearing a tight fitting silken dress that made her bosom and ass look exquisite, even from a distance. As she turned her face in his direction, Anthony let out a gasp.

She was stunning, with flawless skin and sensual lips that curled into an uncertain smile.

She was also obviously not Chinese.

"Look, Mister Davies, she looks exactly like the princess in my book!"

As his prospective bride's emerald green eyes met his stormy blue ones, he smiled with no apparent mirth.

"Yes, she does, Marie. Well, that's a surprise."

As he walked over to greet them, his mind was racing. This girl was obviously not the one whose description he had read in the form. Had there been a mix up? Either way, someone had fucked up along the way, and he was going to find out who.

++++++++

Gianna's heart was racing a mile a minute. Here he was, her future husband if everything went well. Extremely tall and tanned, he looked older than she expected. His shaggy brown hair was touched with silver and he was smartly dressed in a tweed waistcoat, a pair of black denim jeans and a pair of cowboy boots.

"Welcome back, Mrs Beauchamp. I do apologize for troubling you this morning," he murmured distractedly as he raised her hand to his lips in greeting, making the woman titter happily. Well, at least his manners were exquisite, and he was obviously well loved by his staff.

He turned towards her now. Gianna felt dwarfed as he towered over her, his dark blue eyes piercing as they ran over her.

"And a very warm welcome to you," he enveloped her hand in a firm, strong grasp. His lips were soft and warm as they brushed against her skin. Not used to such gentlemanly treatment, she blushed a little.

"Thank you sir, the pleasure is mine," she bowed her head in greeting.

"Let's dispense with the formalities," his voice was strong and flowed like molasses. "You can call me Anthony, Miss...?"

As his voice trailed off questioningly, he raised an eyebrow. Gianna swallowed. This was the moment of truth.

"Feng Ling," she prayed her voice reflected none of the nervousness she felt.

Raising both eyebrows now, he searched her face and she forced herself to hold his gaze.

"Feng Ling's mother is Italian. Such a lovely mixture, isn't it?"

Gianna could have hugged Mrs Beauchamp. The old woman twinkled kindly at her and smiled reassuringly.

"Is that right? Yes, quite lovely." Not releasing her hand, Anthony walked in the direction of the hotel and she matched her pace to his. As they reached the glass doors, she stared in wonderment at the stone statues to her side. It looked intimidating, with a flat nose and great mouth that opened to reveal sharp stone fangs that reminded her of a cat. One paw lined with sharp claws rested over an intricately carved ball.

"I trust you like the Shishi," he murmured as he followed her gaze. Confused, Gianna looked at him. His eyes flickered as he tipped his head towards the statue.

"Oh, yes," she hastened, cursing herself for her carelessness. This must be one of those dreaded Chinese statue things that she was supposed to be familiar with. "Yes, it is beautifully crafted. I've never seen a bear quite so majestic and unique. It's truly one of a kind."

Raising an eyebrow in a quizzical expression, Anthony intoned, "then you must not have noticed his exact twin." Looking around him, she was dismayed to see the exact same statue in a mirrored pose. Those cursed things must come in pairs. Unsure of how to react, she jumped a little as Anthony guffawed loudly.

"Forgive me, my beauty. I have a weakness for bad jokes. Do come in, out of the sun." He opened the glass door for her and stepped back with a little bow.

"After you."

++++++++

Anthony wasn't sure if the strong emotion that pulsed through him was one of rage or amusement. Perhaps both. One thing was for sure, she was a tricky little thing. She had obviously pulled the wool over the eyes of the unsuspecting Mrs Beauchamp. He was surprised by the boldness behind the blatant lie as she revealed her name to him without so much as blinking. There was some steel behind this one, but if there was one thing Anthony hated, it was being lied to. He had deliberately tested her by using the less common name of the Chinese stone lions and derived some wicked pleasure at watching her squirm. A bear.

This could be interesting.

As they entered the hotel lobby with Mrs Beauchamp in their wake, Anthony turned to his false bride. Her flushed reaction to the stone lion fiasco left her cheeks colored prettily pink and her long lashes framed her nervous eyes. Pleased at the impact he had over her, he nodded at his housekeeper.

"I'd like some time alone with my prospective bride," he announced. Smiling brightly, the good Mrs Beauchamp replied, "I'll get Jack to send her suitcase up in a bit."

"No need for that, I'll take it from him now." Anthony swiftly plucked the case from the stable boy's hands. "Thank you, Jack."

"Would you please ensure that we are not disturbed?" He called back as he ascended the staircase with his bride in tow. This earned him a tittering of assurances from his housekeeper who no doubt had some assumptions of the activities they would soon be engaging in. He smirked inwardly. Oh, he had activities planned, alright.

"Right this way, my lovely Feng Ling," he enunciated her name deliberately.

++++++++

To her dismay, Gianna followed Anthony up the flights of staircases. She hadn't expected to be left alone with him so soon. Despite his polished politeness and well-mannered charm, there was an undercurrent in his actions that made her extremely nervous.

"If I may ask," she whispered softly, "where are we going?"

"I thought we might have a chat in my study, get to know each other a little better."

As they passed through the hallway on the third floor, he stopped to point out a particularly breath-taking painting on the wall.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" He gestured at the ink painting of a chinese lady clad in a flowing, traditional costume. Her jet black hair was tied in a complicated up-do and her willowy body was thin and delicate.